Monday, February 4, 2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 4,2008) - The Bosnian State Court has decided that Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic should remain in custody.Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic is charged with having committed war crimes in the central Bosnia area in 1993,during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia. The decision was made after the Prosecution and Defence presented their reasons for a custody extension or termination.

Trial Chamber chairman Judge Saban Maksumic said that "the circumstances which governed the custody order have not been changed in the meantime" and that no other measures "could ensure that he would appear in the courtroom".

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic, as member of the fascist paramilitary formations of the croatians living in Bosnia (HVO), with having ordered and participated in the attacks on the villages and towns in the central Bosnia area, including Ahmici, Vitez and Busovaca.

The indictment alleges that Bosnian civilians of these villages and towns were arrested, tortured, maltreated and murdered by the fascist Croatian aggressor,during the Croatian aggression against Bosnia in the early 1990's, while their property was pillaged and demolished.

Citing its reasons for the custody extension, the Bosnian State Prosecutor said that "the circumstances related to this case have not changed" and therefore requested "the extension of custody for the indictee".

The Defence said that Ljubicic has been in custody for seven years and that "the same results could have been achieved by imposing prohibitive measures against him". The indictee said that the Bosnian State Prosecutor examined 28 witnesses and that none of them reported receiving any kind of threats.

On July 5, 2006. the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) referred the Ljubicic case to the Bosnian State Court for further processing.

Prior to coming to the detention unit of the Bosnian State Court,Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic has been held in the tribunal's Scheveningen unit since November 21, 2001.

After the Bosnian State Court ordered a custody extension, the indictee asked to be allowed to visit, under police escort, his wife and daughter. Maksumic told him to submit a written request and the Court shall then render its decision.

At the hearing, the Bosnian State Prosecutor also presented material evidence, including, among others, the list of murdered Bosnian civilians in Ahmici village near Vitez, whose names were mentioned by witnesses, and a few photographs of victims who were identified by witnesses.

The trial of Croatian war criminal Pasko Ljubicic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court on February 8.